Doug Soldat, a University of Wisconsin Extension Turf Specialist, has researched ways to create a more environmentally friendly lawn.

His paper “Do it Yourself Alternative Lawn Care” lists these six ways homeowners can green-up their lawns:

1. Prepare the Soil Properly. If the soil isn’t healthy, your lawn will not look pretty. Grass absorbs water and nutrients from the soil. If the soil is hard and compact, the roots cannot grow and do not absorb what they need, making it easier for weeds to grow. To prevent this, put a half inch layer of compost on the lawn once in the spring and again in the fall. When you renovate an area, bring in 6 to 8 inches of quality topsoil.

2. Select the Right Grass. As with most plants, different grasses thrive in different climates. Make sure you pick a grass suited to your soil. For example, tall fescue, a low maintenance grass, is well suited for Wisconsin. It is less suited for places with low lying land. Because weeds are hard to control without pesticides, choose sod instead of seeds.

3. Mow as High as Possible. This is the most important step for maintaining a green lawn. Mowing high limits sunlight to growing weeds and increases grass root depth. To save the lawn from damage, keep the blade sharp. The damage allows weeds and pests to move in.

5. Control Weeds. The hardest part of maintaining an alternative lawn is the weeds. If you have a small enough lawn, you can manually pull the weeds. If you have a large area try alternative products that contain chelated iron, plant oil, or acetic acid (be careful, the last two might cause damage to the surrounding lawn.) Corn gluten meal can be used to prevent crab grass. Apply to your lawn in early May and again three to four weeks later.

6. Irrigate Sufficiently. Weeds are more adaptable to dry soil than grass. When a lawn goes dormant from lack of water, the weeds invade. Water your grass at night or in the early morning. Grass tends to need one inch of water per week.

For more information read Soldat’s papers, “Do it Yourself Alternative Lawn Care” and “Organic and Reduced-Risk Lawn care,” both of which can be purchased at http://learningstore.uwex.edu.

Laurel Purves is a junior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is studying Life Sciences Communication and hopes to become a science writer after she graduates. Laurel also plays the mellophone in the University of Wisconsin Marching Band. Laurel is also a Summer 2012 editorial assistant intern at LivingGreenMag.com.